2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash
![]() | This article documents a recent aviation incident. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (May 2024) |
![]() A Bell 212 that was one of the three helicopters in the convoy | |
Accident | |
---|---|
Date | 19 May 2024 |
Summary | Crashed in severe weather |
Site | near Uzi, Varzaqan County, East Azerbaijan, Iran 38°43′8″N 46°39′17″E / 38.71889°N 46.65472°E |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | Bell 212[1] |
Operator | ![]() |
Registration | 6-9221[2] |
Flight origin | Giz Galasi Dam, Iran[3] |
Destination | Tabriz, Iran |
Occupants | 8[4] |
Passengers | 5 |
Crew | 3 |
Fatalities | 8[4] |
Survivors | 0 |
On 19 May 2024, an Iranian Air Force helicopter crashed near the village of Uzi, Varzaqan County, in the province of East Azerbaijan, Iran, killing all on board.[5] A day before the crash a severe weather warning had been issued for the region.[6] The Bell 212 was travelling from the Giz Galasi Dam to Tabriz and carried the president of Iran Ebrahim Raisi, foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, governor-general of East Azerbaijan Malek Rahmati, representative of the Supreme Leader in East Azerbaijan Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the head of the president's security team, and three flight crew.[7][8][9]
Dense forest, heavy rain, fog, strong winds and snow hampered rescue operations.[10] Searchers used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), trained dogs, and the Copernicus satellite system.[11][12][13] The helicopter crash site was eventually found many hours later, with no survivors. The cause of the crash is being investigated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces.[14] Funeral services began on 21 May.[15]
Background
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Ilham_Aliyev_and_President_Seyyed_Ebrahim_Raisi_met_at_the_Azerbaijan-Iran_state_border_-_04.jpg/220px-Ilham_Aliyev_and_President_Seyyed_Ebrahim_Raisi_met_at_the_Azerbaijan-Iran_state_border_-_04.jpg)
Much of Iran's military air fleet was acquired prior to the 1979 Revolution.[16] Due to international sanctions, Iranian aircraft face parts shortages, and often fly without safety checks.[10][4] The helicopter involved was a Bell 212 with serial number 35071 and aircraft registration number 6-9221, estimated to be 40–50 years old.[17][18] Iran purchased the helicopter in the early 2000s.[4]
A day before the crash, the Iran Meteorological Organization issued an orange weather warning (severe weather that may cause damage or accidents) for the region.[6]
Crash
On 19 May, President of Iran Raisi met President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the Giz Galasi hydroelectric complex along their countries' borders to inaugurate it and to commission the Khoda Afarin hydroelectric complex.[19] Following the inauguration of the complex, Raisi, Amir-Abdollahian, Rahmati, Ale-Hashem,[20] and Raisi's head of security Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Mohammad Mehdi Mousavi[21] departed for Tabriz by helicopter[22] to inaugurate a project at an oil refinery.[21] The Bell 212[21] was crewed by two Iranian Air Force pilots holding the rank of colonel and a flight technician with the rank of major, and was part of a convoy of three helicopters.[23][a]
At around 13:30 IRST (UTC+3:30), the helicopter crashed approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southwest[disputed – discuss] of the village of Uzi,[12][10][25] in the Dizmar Forest region, a wildlife corridor near the northern Varzaqan area of East Azerbaijan province.[22][26]
The Head of the President's Office Gholam-Hossein Esmaeili, who was traveling in one of the other helicopters, stated that the helicopters took off at around 13:00.[27] The weather was perfect at the start and during most of the flight.[27] Forty-five minutes into the flight, the pilot of Raisi's helicopter, who was in charge of the convoy, ordered other helicopters to increase altitude to avoid a nearby cloud.[27] After 30 seconds of flying over the cloud, the pilot of Esmaili's helicopter noticed that Raisi's helicopter, which was flying between the two others, had disappeared.[27] The pilot decided to return to search for Raisi's helicopter, but was unable to contact it via radio and could not descend because of the cloud, forcing him to land at a nearby copper mine.[27] The pilots then called the phone of Captain Mostafavi, who was in charge of Raisi's helicopter, but Ale-Hashem answered, who said the helicopter had crashed into a valley and his own condition was not good.[27] Esmaeili himself made a second call and spoke to Ale-Hashem.[27] Ale-Hashem died a few hours later before the rescuers could arrive.[27]
Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Housing and Transportation Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash, who were traveling in the other two helicopters, arrived safely in Tabriz[28][29] after their aircraft made unsuccessful searches for the third helicopter for fifteen to twenty minutes after losing contact with it.[21] Eight people were in the helicopter when it crashed.[4][b]
Recovery
News of the crash was released at 16:00,[21] with Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi describing it as a hard landing caused by bad weather and fog.[28][31] Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, ordered all its branches to deploy their full resources toward rescue operations.[28] Heavy fog affected search-and-rescue operations in Varzaqan.[11] Reports indicated that search-and-rescue teams were expected to reach the site of the crash by 20:00.[32] By 20:39, Iranian forces were near the site of the crash.[33] Forty rescue teams from the Iranian Red Crescent Society,[28] along with UAVs, were sent to the area of the crash.[34]
Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, announced that the European Union would activate the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (rapid response satellite mapping) at Iran's request.[35] Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Qatar, Turkey and Russia offered to help in the search.[36][37][38] Russia sent two airplanes, search and rescue helicopters and around 50 personnel to aid in the rescue mission.[39] The United States said that it was asked by the Iranian government to provide assistance but was unable to do so "largely for logistical reasons".[40]
Iran requested a night vision search and rescue helicopter from Turkey, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency.[41] It also requested assistance from the United States, according to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, but it could not be fulfilled mainly due to logistical reasons.[42] Coordinates from a Turkish Bayraktar Akıncı UAV showed the crash site being located on a steep mountain slope 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the Azerbaijan–Iran border.[43][44] The UAV sent by Turkey was unarmed following a request by Iran.[45]
A few hours later after the crash, IRIB reported the helicopter had been found,[46] and that there was "no sign of life" at the crash scene,[4] which was situated at an altitude of 2,200 metres (7,200 ft).[21] With the exception of its tail,[43] the helicopter burned completely following impact.[47]
On 20 May, search operations concluded with the recovery of the bodies,[48] which were transported to Tabriz.[21] Many of the bodies were found in a charred condition, but did not require forensic identification.[49]
Investigation
The Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces assumed responsibility for investigating the cause of the crash.[14] Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, citing Turkey's coverage of Iran in its area of responsibility for emergency response, said they had not found a signal from the helicopter upon hearing news of its crash, which suggested that the aircraft either did not have its signal system turned on or did not have such a system.[50]
Former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blamed the United States for the crash, saying in an interview that the latter's embargo on the sale of aircraft and aviation parts to Iran "will be recorded in the list of US crimes against the Iranian people".[51]
Aftermath
Raisi was the second president of Iran to have died in office, following Mohammad-Ali Rajai, who was killed in a bombing in 1981.[52] The presidential line of succession begins with Mohammad Mokhber, the first vice president. On 20 May, the cabinet said that the government will continue to operate "without the slightest disruption".[43] That same day, Mokhber was formally designated as acting president by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, while Ali Bagheri was appointed as acting foreign minister.[51] If power is transferred to the vice president in this way, Iranian law states that a new presidential election must be called within six months.[53] Authorities subsequently set the election date for 28 June.[54]
While the search was still under way, Khamenei asked the nation for its prayers and said: "The nation doesn't need to be worried or anxious as the administration of the country will not be disrupted at all."[55][56] The government cancelled a cabinet meeting and instead convened an emergency meeting,[57] during which Raisi's chair was left empty and draped with a black sash.[58] Senior officials of the Supreme National Security Council travelled to Tabriz.[59]
Prior to the confirmation of Raisi's death, prayers for him were held in cities across the country, which were aired by state-run television.[60] At the same time, videos of people in Iran setting off celebratory fireworks began circulating on social media, while others danced, played music, or honked car horns in solidarity with those celebrating.[61] Images were posted to Persian social media showing people killed and injured during the crackdown on the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests under Raisi's presidency.[62] Police in Tehran warned that anyone who appeared publicly happy about Raisi's death would be prosecuted.[61]
Following confirmation of Raisi's death, Khamenei declared five days of national mourning.[51] Following the announcement of Raisi's death, hundreds gathered in Vali-e-Asr square in mourning for the president.[4] At a meeting of the Assembly of Experts on 21 May, a flower-ringed portrait of Raisi was placed on his seat.[14] The United Nations Security Council stood for a minute's silence for Raisi.[63]
Funerals
Funerals for the victims began on 21 May in Tabriz. A procession of the remains, which were carried on a lorry, was attended by crowds estimated to be in the tens of thousands who were then addressed by Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi.[15] The remains were then taken to Tehran and transported to Qom before being returned to Tehran University for another funeral ceremony on 22 May presided by Khamenei and attended by Mokhber and foreign dignitaries. The dignitaries included Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who spoke at the event, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.[64][65]
After the ceremony, the remains were transported on a semitruck[64] on a procession to Azadi Square, during which chants of "Death to America" were uttered.[66] Government offices and private businesses were ordered closed on 22 May.[50] Tens of thousands were estimated to have been in attendance for the funeral service in Tehran,[67][68][69] and hundreds of thousands were estimated to have followed the procession down Tehran's main boulevard.[64] Attendance for the funeral service was noticeably lower than that of Iranian Revolutionary Guard general Qassem Soleimani in 2020.[64]
Raisi's remains will be taken to Birjand on 23 May before being transported to his hometown in Mashhad, where Raisi will be buried the same day at the Imam Reza shrine.[70][14]
Reactions
Domestic
Reactions among Iranians were mixed. Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the exiled dissident People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, said that Raisi's legacy was marked by his role in the 1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners, and described the crash as a "monumental and irreparable strategic blow to the mullahs' Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the entire regime," which would trigger "a series of repercussions and crises" within its leadership.[71] Taghi Rahmani, the husband of detained activist and Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, said Raisi's death would not structurally change the Iranian leadership under Khamenei.[61]
Foreign
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Turkish_flag_half_mast_following_the_death_of_Ebrahim_Raisi.jpg/200px-Turkish_flag_half_mast_following_the_death_of_Ebrahim_Raisi.jpg)
During the search efforts, well-wishes and offers of support came from Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev,[72] Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi,[73] Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif,[74] President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,[75] President of the Maldives Mohamed Muizzu,[76] President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel,[77] the Iraqi government,[78] United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres[78] and the foreign ministries of Afghanistan, Kuwait, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Jordan.[79][80][81] The US State Department stated that it was closely monitoring the situation, and president Joe Biden was briefed about the incident.[78] Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese also said that he was monitoring the situation.[82]
Following the confirmation of the deaths of Raisi and the other passengers, leaders and officials of several countries and international organizations extended their condolences and sympathies.[c] Days of mourning were declared in Bangladesh, Cuba,[135] India, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,[136] Syria, and Turkey.[137][51][138][139]
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed hope that a future Iranian government would "commit itself to the stabilisation and pacification of the region".[83] Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said he did not feel comfortable sending condolences to Iran because of its provision of military aid for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[140] British Minister of State for Security Tom Tugendhat said that he "will not mourn" Raisi, adding that his "regime has murdered thousands at home, and targeted people here in Britain and across Europe".[141] United States National Security Council spokesman John Kirby described Raisi as "a man who had a lot of blood on his hands".[142]
Although there was no official reaction from the government, Israeli opposition politician Avigdor Lieberman said it was unlikely to affect Iranian policy toward Israel, adding that "we won't shed a tear" over Raisi's death.[143][144] Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan criticised the United Nations Security Council for holding a minute's silence in respect for Raisi on 20 May, calling it a "disgrace".[145]
Militant groups
Several Islamist militant organisations backed by Iran expressed their condolences. Mohammed al-Houthi, Houthi Yemen's Interior Minister, expressed condolences to the Iranian people, leadership, and families of the dead. Hamas mourned the loss of an "honourable supporter" in a statement.[146] Hezbollah also mourned Raisi, describing him as a protector of the Axis of Resistance.[147]
See also
- List of Iranian aviation accidents and incidents
- List of heads of state and government who died in aviation accidents and incidents
Notes
- ^ The Turkish newspaper Türkiye, citing an Iranian security source, avers that Russian-made helicopters associated with the Revolutionary Guard Corps usually transport such high officials, and that the crew in this instance was Army staff. Furthermore the helicopter was supposedly outfitted with the standard GPS and transponder as well as a continuous beacon.[24]
- ^ According to other sources, nine people.[30]
- ^ Afghan Acting Prime Minister Hasan Akhund,[83] Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune,[84][85] Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan,[86] Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev,[87] Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin[88] and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,[89] Bosnian Presidency member Željko Komšić,[90] Interim Burkinabè President Ibrahim Traoré,[91] Chinese President Xi Jinping,[92] Comorian President Azali Assoumani,[93] Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi,[94] Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel,[95] Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi,[96] Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki,[97] Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed,[71] European Council President Charles Michel,[92] EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell,[98] Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit,[83] African Union Commission President Moussa Faki,[71] the French foreign ministry,[99] Gambian President Adama Barrow,[100] Bissau-Guinean President Umaro Sissoco Embaló,[101] Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,[102] Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani,[103] Italian President Sergio Mattarella,[104] Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi,[83] Jordanian King Abdullah II,[105] Kuwaiti Prime Minister Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah,[106] Kenyan President William Ruto,[107] Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri,[108] Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh,[109] Liswati Prime Minister Russell Dlamini,[110] Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina,[111] Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim,[102] Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu,[112][113] the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs,[114] Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba,[115] Nigerian President Bola Tinubu,[116] Nigerien Head of state Abdourahamane Tchiani,[117] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un,[118] OPEC secretary general Haitham al-Ghais,[83] Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,[102][119] Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,[83] Philippine President Bongbong Marcos,[120] Polish President Andrzej Duda,[121] Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro,[122] Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,[92] Russian President Vladimir Putin,[102] Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,[123] Sahrawi President Brahim Ghali,[124] Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye,[125] Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe,[126] Somali Government,[127] South African President Cyril Ramaphosa,[128] Sudanese military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan,[83] Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,[129] Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan,[130] Tunisian President Kais Saied,[131] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,[132] UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,[92] US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller,[133] Pope Francis,[98] and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.[134]
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Broadcast reaction to Raisi's death was mixed, to put it mildly, and fell into two categories. At one end of the emotional extreme, regime supporters mourning his death featured heavily on Iranian television today [...] On the other end, celebratory videos like this went viral.
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- ^ Template:Cite newshttps://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/iran-funeral-tehran-president-raisi-killed-helicopter-crash-rcna153426
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{{cite web}}
: More than one of|work=
and|website=
specified (help) - ^ @presidentaz (19 May 2024). "Today, after bidding a friendly farewell to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, we were profoundly troubled by the news of a helicopter carrying the top delegation crash-landing in Iran" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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The United States expresses its official condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and other members of their delegation in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran. As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
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External links
Media related to 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash at Wikimedia Commons
- Current events from May 2024
- 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash
- 2024 disasters in Iran
- May 2024 events in Iran
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 2024
- Aviation accidents and incidents in Iran
- Accidents and incidents involving Bell aircraft
- Aviation accidents and incidents involving fog
- Aviation accidents and incidents involving state leaders
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
- History of East Azerbaijan Province
- Presidency of Ebrahim Raisi
- Varzaqan County